This time last week there was near universal outrage on the left – and even from some Conservative MPs – after Israel barred two Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohammed and Yuan Yang, from entry. The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, described the Israeli decision as ‘unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning…this is no way to treat British parliamentarians’.
The Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, opened an 80-minute statement on the matter by summoning all the gravity he could muster and telling the Commons that this was ‘unacceptable and deeply concerning. It is no way to treat democratically elected representatives’. Later that day, dozens of Labour MPs gathered for a photograph with Mohammed and Yang to show their solidarity. Phone-in hosts and columnists opined. Israel had done a bad thing. My social media timeline was overwhelmed with posts attacking the Israelis.
Other than Lammy’s words, there has been none of the outrage that followed the Israeli decision
Yesterday, it emerged that the Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse has been refused entry to Hong Kong.
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